Drop + xDuoo TA-84 Review
Drop just released its latest collaboration, an OTL tube amplifier made to drive demanding headphones like the HD6XX – that also just happen to be top picks for gaming. Is the Drop + xDuoo TA-84 worth investing in at a pre-order price of $349? Find out in this review!
Over the years, Drop has produced a number of different products that have become staples in the audio hobby. The Drop + Sennheiser HD 6XX is probably the best known among them, closely followed by the HD 58X, the Drop O2 amplifier, the Drop + THX AAA 789, the Drop + Alex Cavalli Liquid Carbon X, and more. The 6XX in particular rocked the audiophile hobby, bringing new people in with this new, accessible, and eminently impressive pair of headphones.
It has a rep.
With the TA-84, it’s breaking new ground. Partnering with xDuoo, it’s the company’s first-ever tube amplifier and it’s custom designed to match its most popular Sennheiser models and BMR1 speakers. It will also work well with other high-impedance headphones, like the popular Beyerdynamic DT-770s. It’s big and bulky and looks exceptionally cool on a desk top. It’s not neutral and colors the sound, but that’s exactly what it’s designed to do, and sounds great. It’s a specialized product that delivers on its specialty.
In many ways, the TA-84 is an answer. It’s designed to address some of the biggest concerns about tube amps while also addressing some of the biggest criticisms of the HD 6XX. Beginning with the first, tube amplifiers are a classic technology. They don’t measure the best and aren’t intended to. People use them for their unique character and warmth. At the same time, they can be noisy. Turning them on raises the noise floor on some models, which can be especially noticeable on sensitive
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